Our latest Lake District retreat has just waved goodbye to the last of our writers. In a new location, based in the super quiet countryside nestled away behind Whitehaven, we have had a great 3 days of writing, relaxing, walking, eating, drinking and socialising. One of the key benefits that came out of this retreat…Continue reading Whitehaven Retreat – November, 2019

It doesn’t matter whether we are reaching for the heights of success in a sporting discipline, the workplace or in writing, there are a set of traits that those who are successful will demonstrate time and again. We look at those traits here and show their parallel to being a successful author. Drive: Successful authors…Continue reading Traits of Success

As a writer, you might not have given a second thought to the aromas that fill your working space. Mostly, for me, it’s au-de-cat or au-de-horse and not au-de-make-me-creative.  Actually, though, after a little investigation, aromatherapy has much to offer writers in stimulating thought and creativity.Our sense of smell is the strongest of all the…Continue reading Essential Oils for Writing

Our September retreat was absolutely great. All of our writers receive a goodie bag on arrival. We had 6 fabulous writers to stay who were geared up for a quiet, relaxing and productive weekend, with great food, great surroundings and the opportunity for networking with other writers. The weather was is lovely so the garden…Continue reading September Retreat

It’s April 26th, 2019 which means that tomorrow we will open our doors to the writers who have booked onto the weekend retreat. We are bursting at the seams, which is great news, with a variety of writers of different ages, writing different genres arriving. We are all set up and ready for lift off.…Continue reading April Writers’ Retreat – Gilcrux

Have you wondered what actually happens on a non-tutored retreat? Well, it’s simple. You write and then you write some more. Our April retreat is a larger one with up to 8 writers so there’s great company available, too. Breakfast is served between 7 and 9 in the morning, with a great range of hot…Continue reading What Happens on a Writers’ Retreat UK Retreat?

It’s the New Year and time to get motivated for 2019 with your writing goal. As every writer knows, it’s easy to procrastinate and put off writing for a whole variety of reasons: I’m too busy, the dog needs walking, the house needs cleaning, I can’t think of what to write, ad-infinitum. So, here are…Continue reading New Year – Get Writing for 2019

So, you need to write a 1000-word short story. Where do you start when you’re struggling for inspiration? Here’s some quick ideas… Your main character witnesses a death Your main character finds a dead body An unexpected phone call sends your main character into a spin Your story centres around a scar (physical or psychological)…Continue reading Short Story – Finding Inspiration

If you want to be a success as a writer of books, you need to become a bit of an expert in marketing. Even if you are published in the traditional way, many book publishers still expect their authors to promote their own works. As a self-published author, you actually have no choice. If you…Continue reading Marketing your Book